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The Life Cycle of a Phenomenon is often defined by distinct phases.

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or figureheads propose an innovative concept pledging a cure for disconnected individuals.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to storm the compound down in Brisbane. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. An isolated player, naked, nervous, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT written on his body as a statement, has stumbled into view and is being led away under a blanket to a different team elsewhere.

Remember the beginning, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Love-Bombing

Movement founders guarantee a new start, hope for a future, support, salvation among a group who all believe in the big idea.

How did it feel at first? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Ink. Strength. Focus. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players often say Bazball doesn’t actually exist, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know the concept. It’s the player playing a shot so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: focused titan, beard made of wood, natural look, so authentically Modern Savage you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and find him positioned on the ground bare-chested embracing nature.

It’s the batsman often seen to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal smartly dressed, expressing thoughts like we’re breaking down traditions. Indeed, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. A New Life

Building period. Cohesion maintained by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These principles may seem irrational as a loyalty check.

Does anyone else feel? The criticism, the outrage, the feeling of letdown post-defeat seems too strong, unwarranted. The batting collapsed on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged in the field for a couple of hours when tactics failed, carved around by the opponent playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with brilliance.

And now we have this the pile-on, the rage, the view of the sport as a failure. The feeling seems to be that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be scoured, obliterated, defeated through sheer skill of the pace attack, the conventional tactics of the bowler, marking achievements humbly similar to getting a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

Ultimately, a few days before from the second Test, we’ve entered a critical juncture in the journey of this movement. They might succeed overseas with bold tactics. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. Should they fail it feels like we could be witnessing the final stage.

Prior to that, several aspects worth saying regarding this. More than two years ago, at the start, of passion and hope, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. There was outrage, which was helpful because everyone knows how to confirm lack of cult status is if supporters respond with anger rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

What has happened recently are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, we have the wider backdrop of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, your cherished traditions and have developed to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, it’s just a joke after all.

This is the core issue. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a circle, a garden party, an insular community with centuries of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of the British, the pioneering brand. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been enclosed within this world from a young age. Attempting to break free, to foster positivity, they are mirroring their own experience, building another enclosure, an exclusive group, however with a modern squad and a mentor who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Focus on the moment. Run towards the danger. But no matter how fast and far you run, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to offer compassion for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, that are numerous. What does it represent? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with